How to choose a flat screen tv?

[blue-eye-boy]

Now believe it or not, I we dont have a tv at all, we're not interested. But we like to watch dvd's, and series. Till now we've used my laptop for that, but the other day I saw a setup where a guy had a lcd tv connected to his pc, for gaming, movies, etc.. So there and then the bug bit me. ME WANT ONE TOO!

So how does one decide which one to get? What makes are good, and what must one leave. The size I want is a 32 inch. So what specs must it have and what is not important?

I'm talking here about a affordable one, not the top of the range, my budged is limited.

Thanks.

 

[Smooth Criminal]

/waits for everyone to jump in and say 'put a little more and get a 42" Sinotec'

Anyway it really depends on what you expect it to do - things like how many HDMI ports etc. You also need to consider that you'll need a dedicated box to act as a media server (be it a computer or one of those divx devices). If you go the computer router, then you'd probably need a tv card as well.

Anyway you're looking at around R6k for a 32" set - pretty much all of them in this range are 720p. Choice of brand is your preference really - best to go down to one of the shops and compare them.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Yup.... i tend to agree with Smooth Criminal.

R6k for a 32" is about right...
You will now also need to budget for a TV License though.

 

[PeterCH]

Now believe it or not, I we dont have a tv at all, we're not interested. But we like to watch dvd's, and series. Till now we've used my laptop for that, but the other day I saw a setup where a guy had a lcd tv connected to his pc, for gaming, movies, etc.. So there and then the bug bit me. ME WANT ONE TOO!

So how does one decide which one to get? What makes are good, and what must one leave. The size I want is a 32 inch. So what specs must it have and what is not important?

I'm talking here about a affordable one, not the top of the range, my budged is limited.

Thanks.

http://www.pricecheck.co.za/offers/...000:1,+VGA_DVI_HDMI,+Speaker,+STAND+OPTIONAL/

32 inch Samsung LCD 720P monitor for R6200 and it does not need a TV license.

http://www.catsdigital.co.za/-32lh70-32-lcd-tv-new-scarlet.html

LG Full HD 1080P 32 inch at R8900

 

[blue-eye-boy]

/waits for everyone to jump in and say 'put a little more and get a 42" Sinotec'

Anyway it really depends on what you expect it to do - things like how many HDMI ports etc. You also need to consider that you'll need a dedicated box to act as a media server (be it a computer or one of those divx devices). If you go the computer router, then you'd probably need a tv card as well.

Anyway you're looking at around R6k for a 32" set - pretty much all of them in this range are 720p. Choice of brand is your preference really - best to go down to one of the shops and compare them.

Thanks, I dont think I'll go for bigger than 32 inch, I've seen those screens, the bigger you take, the bigger your room must be, cause it looks ugly when you stand too close to the screen. And my room isn't big at all.
My laptop has a vga connection at the back, my friend connected through that with his pc. I for now I'll use the same?
Is 720 dpi good, or must I try for better if it's available?
And if I use it with my laptop, do I need a tv card too?

Yup.... i tend to agree with Smooth Criminal.

R6k for a 32" is about right...
You will now also need to budget for a TV License though.

Yeah I suppose I must have a tv license to buy it anyway, just a pity cause I wont be using the tv part. What does a license cost these days?

http://www.pricecheck.co.za/offers/...000:1,+VGA_DVI_HDMI,+Speaker,+STAND+OPTIONAL/

32 inch Samsung LCD 720P monitor for R6200 and it does not need a TV license.

http://www.catsdigital.co.za/-32lh70-32-lcd-tv-new-scarlet.html

LG Full HD 1080P 32 inch at R8900

I dont think I'll go as high as the scarlet one! The samsung looks nice, I see it has a "built in pc".

The built-in PC gives you added convenience and uses Windows XPe to eliminate the need for a separate media player to run content on the screen.

For what it's worth.

The friend I'm talking about has a Teac screen. He bought it for R3500, it was a demo.

 

[Schwartz]

I have had my 32" Sansui a while now(2 years) and it NEVER gives any probs! But R6k is right for a 32"... HiFi corp and Game ALWAYS have specials... wait for one and pounce!

 

[4cer]

R6999 for a 32' full HD LG LCD on special at makro.. you need to get it now!! its gonna be R7999 again soon.. i got it working with my pc/xbox

if your using it as a pc monitor.. your gonna need full HD, if i put it at 720p it looks horrible ! and try stay away from the no name brands! i know its R1k more for the 42' sinotech, but take your laptop there and compare the screens and it will make sense

 

[PeterCH]

I dont think I'll go as high as the scarlet one! The samsung looks nice, I see it has a "built in pc".

I never saw that. I think these models used to retail R13,000 a while ago.

I guess you could connect an external drive or USB stick and play videos directly on the screen, although maybe the codec support won't be too good, or the CPU is a weak Atom. Who knows...?

Oh and as said, you don't need a TV license to buy a monitor.

The LG is a TV though so a license is needed but it has almost a million pixels more so full 1920by1080 (LG) vs 1366x768 (Samsung).

 

[rorz0r]

Just go to a few shops and buy the one you like.

 

[sand_man]

You can get a Sinotec 42" Full HD LCD on special at Makro for R7999-00. It's a no brainer, includes a 5 year warranty and has a resolution of 1920 x 1088 which is ideal for PC to LCD configuration so stop worrying about the size of the room, make the investment and enjoy...

Or alternatively you can have my 3 months old Full HD Sinotec 32" LCD for R4.5k...

 

[matt loves telkom]

eish sandmanm34 - why so cheap for a full hd 32'? does it include the warranty

 

[sand_man]

eish sandmanm34 - why so cheap for a full hd 32'? does it include the warranty

Yes, balance of warranty, about 21 months, I bought it at PnP instead of Makro, my bad, only Makro offer 5 year warranty on their Sinotec sets. Paid R5.6k for it so depreciation over 3 months brings the price down to R4.5k...

 

[Gaz{M}]

This really is the case of go and look at them in real life. Specs tell you nothing at all. Physically seeing the image quality of the various brands will instantly tell you what you want. Some of the 'cheaper' no name brands look good on paper, but their images are definitely a generation behind the main players, or standard TV (if you ever watch that) look horrible.

Take a walk through Hifi Corp or Dion/Makro etc. to see them in action. Then go price hunting online.